Keyless clock.



W, E; PQRTER= KEYLESS GLOGK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19,1910. 7 7 7,Patented De0.27,1910

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. E. PORTER.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19,1910.

979,797. Patented 1m 2?, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O v W/MM W519i WILSON E.'PORTER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, 00., OF NEWHAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNOR TO NEW HAVEN CLOCK A CORPORATION.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

Specification (if Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed September 19, 1910. Serial No. 582,720.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILsoN E. PORTER, a citizen of the United Haven, inthe county of New Haven and tate of Connecticut, have invented a new anduseful. Improvement in Key-less Clocks; and 'I do hereby declare thefollowing, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe letters of reference marked. thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in-

' manufacture, a simple,

' Figure 1 a. view in side elevation of an automobile clock constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2a view thereof in rear elevationwith a portion of the finger-button broken away. Fig. 3 a broken Viewthereof in central vertical section, on an. enlarged scale. Fig. 4 aperspective view of the clock proper, showing it detached from thesupporting-disk and bracket upon which it is rotatably mounted. Fig. 5 adetached view in inside elevation of the supporting-disl'c on which theclock-proper is rotatably mounted.

.My invention relates to an improvement in keyless clocks of that classcommonly known today as automobile clocks, though not limited to use onautomobiles, the object-being to produce at a low cost for convenientand durahle keyless clock constructed with particular reference tofcwncss of parts, non-liability Auction to derangement and smoothness ofwinding With these ends in view, my invention consists 1n 2 keylessclock having certain details of construction and combinations of partsas will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I employ a cylindricalcase 2 having its forward end externally threaded for the reception ofan internally threaded bezel 3 formed with an ornamental bead {l andwith an integral mat or reflector 5. A crystalti mounted in the bezel 3protects the dial 7, which is applied to the outer face of a dialplate 8carrying shortspacing-pillars9 by,

States, residing at Newthe said case-back which it is secured by nuts 10to the front plate 11 of the clockanovement which also comprisesintermediate movement-plates 12 and 13 and a rear movement-plate 14:,the said movement-plates being secured together in proper relativepositions in any suitable manner as by pillars 15. The clock-mov mentmay be of any approved construction as to its train which it has seemedsuflicient to designate by a single reference numeral 15.

Near its rear'end the case 2 is provided with a disk-shaped fixed back16 soldered or otherwise secured in place and having the clock-movementsecured to it by short spacing-pillars 17 which are riveted in the rearmovement-plate 14 which receives screws 18 passing from rear to frontthrough Fig. 3, whereby the clockrmovement is fastened to ororganized-with the case 2 so as to rotate therewith. The shortspacing-pit lars l7 establish betweenthe re'armovemenh plate. 14- andthe case-back 16, a narrow space 19 for the reception of the mainyiinding-ratchet 20 of the clock-movement, this ratchet being fixed uponthe main windingarbor 21 which extends forward through the rearmovement-plate 14: in which it has bearing and through the spring-barrel22 and is formed at its forward end with a trunnion 23 hearing in themiddle of-the intermediate movement-plate 13. The said arbor 21 isformed with a hub 24- to which the inner end of the main-spring .25 issocured in the ordinary manner, the outer end of the said spring beingattached to the periphery of the said spring-barrel. Near its extremeforward end the arbor 21 is formed with a shoulder 26 forming a bearingfor the main-wheel 27 to which the s1nfing-barrel 22 is secured, thesaid wheel 2'? rotating upon the shoulder 26 which remains at rest. Thearbor isv also formed with a shoulder 28 passing through the center of adiskshaped plate 29 employed to close the springbarrel A pawl 20pivotally mounted upon the rear face of the roar movementplate 1-1 andprovided with a spring 30 and located Within the space 19 aforesaid, en-

the said disk Set and are located in a plane 2 and therefore the clockmorement are normally held against rotation by means of a coupling-gin3t provided at its rear end with a knurled finger-button and mounted forrotatable and longitudinal movement in a 1 lb 533 titted in asupportingatislt or plate ill fitting within the rear edge. of the case2, and attached by screws to a bracket 36 too perforated cars 23? ofwhich project beyond the edge of at. an angle to the plane thereof sothat the clock will he supported in an inclined position as shown .inFigs. 1 and when it to he used as an automobile clock. it course theconstruction of the bracket 36 will depend upon the use to which theclock to be put. The said plate 3% and bracket lt' .stitute theclock-base or clock-supporting means and remain fixed while the clock sbeing rotated tor the winding of its spring. At its extreme forward endthe coupiinwpin lit is reduced in diameter to form a nose lo adapted toenter a corre sponding hole All in the outer face of the casebuch it).When the nose 3S entered into the hole 39, the case 2 will be coupled tothe plate ll and the case and movement held against rotation. A springto encircling the inner end of the pin 33L exerts a constant eti'ort tohold the. nose in the hole lth this spring being interposed be tween astoprollar ll nuainted upon the pin 31 near the forward end thcreot' andan ahutmcnt h] within the hub 33. For titling the n so 219 out of thehole Ill) and holding it in its rctrartcd position, the outer end oi thehub m is formed with a liftingcam which is engaged by a lilting-pin itmount d in the coupling-pin ill ainlriding upoir the surface of the caml t-l. lreparator to winding the main-spring 25; the tingei'lutton 32 isgrasped and turned from let: to right. whereby thelit'ting-pin ll ridesrer the ti ling-cam ill with the cited; oi" retracting the coupling-pin31. against the tension ot the spr ng it) and withdraw ing theeouplingnose :lov from the hole 39, leaving the cloclt-movement; and thecase 2 tree to be bodil rotated with respect to the main windingairhor2i and they clockbase. consisting. as shown, of the plate 3i and thebracket no. the pin 31 being niainiained in its retracted position bythe lid ing oi the lifting-pin 4A up over the cam 4:?) out onto th levelouter edge of the hub 33. After the inaiinspring 25 has been wound, thetingerbutton 32 is turned in either direction until the lifting-pin itis brought into registration with. some part of the cam l3. Now, when inthe rotation of the casehaek it) with the case 2, the hole 39 is broughtinto registration with the nose 2-58, the spring it) Will at once act topush the coupling-pin 231 forward and enter its nose 38 into the hole3'3, whereby the clock-case 2 will be again coupled with the clock-baseand held against rotation.

Inasmuch as in my improved construction, the clock-movement itselfrotated, its dial 7 must also be rotated with it. This makes it necessarto provide for resetting the dial, so to speak in an upright positionafter the spring has been wound, that is, with the 12 on the dial,uppermost. For this purpose I employ, as herein shown, a dial-reset tingratchet l5 located within a narrow space it) formed between thecase-hack 1t) and the supporting-plate 23lb r the interposition betweenthem of a f-rpacing-ring 47 or some equivalent thereof the said ratchetbeing formed with a shoulder 48 hearing in an opening it) in the centerof the supporting-plate 25%. The said ratchet 45 is formed with a squarecentral opening 50 for the reception ot-the squared outer end of themainwinding arbor 21 with which the ratchet rotates from right to leftwhen the dial being reset but at no other time. A pawl 51 pirotallymounted upon the front face ofthe supporting plate Siand provided with aspring 52 enacts with the ratchet-t5 and prevents the arbor '21 fromturning from lett to right.

When the clock-ease and the clock-movement; are being bodily turned fromleft to right for the purpose of winding the mainspring '35, themain-arbor 2t and the ratchetwheols 20 and 15 remain at rest the arborbeing held against rotation by means of the en gagement ot the pawl 51.with the ratchetwlh, while the pawl :H o t the main-ratchet- 20 is beingtrailed over the teeth of the same, since the said pawl '29 is carriedby the rear move- -ment- )late it which revolved as a part of theclock-movement. This provides for the winding of the clock. Vhen theclock has been wound, it still remains necessary to reset the dial 7 soas to properly position its figure 12, since the chance of the figure'32 on the dial being in its proper uppermost p0-' sition attheconclusion of the operation of winding the clock, would be only a remotechance. The resetting of the dial. is doneby bodily turning the clocktronrright to left for the required distance which will always be. lessthan one entire revolution. During this reverse movement of the clockfor the purpose of resetting the dial, the arbor 2t will rotate fromright. to left, and turn both.

of the ratchet wheels 20 and l5, .the pawl iz) of the ratchet-Wheel 20being engaged w th the same while the ratchet-wheel ton-ides under thepawl 51 carried by the supporting plate 34. The turning of the clockproper from left to right for the pur ose of winding the main-spring 25,is 0? course done against the tension of the main-spring, but theturmngof the clock from right to left for resetting the dial, is done onlyagainst the tension of the pawl-spring 52.

The organization of parts forming the clock proper, (the clock-case 2and the clockmovement), are coupled to the clock-base (the plate 44 andthe bracket 36) by the passage of the rear end of the main windingarbor21 throu h awasher 53 set intoan opening 54 in the bracket 36, theprojecting rear end of the arbor receivin a fasteningpin 55 the removalof whic enables the clock proper to be removed as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be seen from the foregoing that in my improved keyless clock,the clock-movement and its case'are bodil rotated for winding themain-spring, w ile the main winding arbor remains at rest, whereby Idispense with the use of the ears necessary in keyless clocks employingezels or shells for winding the spring.

I claim 1. In a keyless'clock, the combination with a clock-base orsupporting means, of a clockmovement bodil rotatable in eitherdirection, and a winc ing-arbor coupling the said movement to the saidbase or supporting means, and held against rotation when the movement isrotated for winding the clock but rotatable with the movement when theZan'ie is reversely rotated for resetting the 2. In a keyless clock, thecombination with a clock-base or supportin means, of a clockmovementbodily rotata le in either direction, a winding-arbor coupling the movement to the said base or su orting means, and means for normally holdingthe winding arbor against rotation hen the clockmoven'lent is beingbodily rotated for Winding the clock. I,

3. In a keyless clock, the combination with a clock basc or supportingmeans, of a clockmovcment, a case therefor, a winding-arbor coupling thesaid movement and case to the said base or supporting means, and meansfor normally holding the winding arbor against rotation when theclock-movement and case are being bodily rotated for winding the clock,the movement and case being manually rotatable in one direction forwinding the clock while the arbor remains at rest, and the arbor beingrotated in the opposite direction with the movement andcase forresetting the clock-dial.

4. In a keyless clock, the combination with a centrally arrangedwinding-arbor, of a movement rotatable with respect to the said arbor, aratchet-wheel located upon the arbor, a pawl carried by themovement andcoacting with the said ratchet-wheel over which-it sweeps, means forsupporting the said movement, a dial-resetting ratchetwheel mounted uponthe arbor for rotation therewith, and a pawl coacting with theratchet-wheel last mentioned and connected with the said supportingmeans, whereby the main-spring is wound by rotating the movementin onedirection while the arbor remains at rest, and whereby the dial is resetby rotating the movement in the other direction and rotating the arborwith it.

5. In a keyless clock, the combination with a centrally arrangedwinding-arbor, of a movement rotatable with respect to the said arbor, aratchet-wheel fixed upon the said arbor, a pawl carried by the saidmovement and coacting with the said ratchet-wheel over which it sweepswhen the movement is being rotated, means for supporting the saidmovement, a dial resetting ratchet-wheel mounted upon the arborvforrotation therewith, and a pawl coacting with the ratchetwheel lastmentioned and connected with the said sup orting means, whereby themainspring 0 the said movement is wound by rotating the movement in onedirection while the arbor remains at rest, and whereby the dial is resetby rotating the movement in the other direction and rotating the arborwith it, the said movement being connected with the said supportingmeans through the medium of the arbor.

6. In a keyless clock, the combination with a clock-case, of a movementlocated therein, a case-back fixed within the case and having themovement secured to it, a bracket, a diskshaped su porti'ngplate securedto the bracket an fitting within the rear end of the clockcase, awinding-arbor extending rearward from the movement and passing throughthe said supporting-plate, a ratchetwheel fixed upon the saidwinding-arbor, a pawl connected with the said movement for engagementwith the said ratchet-wheel, a dial-resetting ratchet-wheel nonrotatablymounted upon'the said arbor, and a pawl. carried by the said suporting-plate and engaging with the said dial-resetting ratchetwheel,whereby the main-spring is wound by turning the clock-movement and casein one direction with the arbor at rest and reset by turning them in theother direction, the arbor being then turned.

7. In a keyless clock, the combination with. a clock-base or supportingmeans, of a clock movement and case rotatably connected with theclock-base and rotatable in one direction for winding the clock-spring,and in the op posite direction for setting the clock-dial, and means fornormally holding the clockcase against rotation in either direction.

11in keyless clock, the combination with movable and rotatablecouplingin mount- 10 n clock-base or supporting means, of a clock- E edin st cmmned hub in, the said o ock case. movement and case rotatahlyconnected with In testimony whereof, I have signed this the said.clock-base and rotatable in one specification in the presence of twosubscribdii'evtion for winding the clock-spring and i ing witnesses. inthe opposite direction for 'resetting the NlLSON E. PORTER.- (flock thahand means carried by the clock- I Witnesses: c; :e fol coupling the someagainst rotation l GEORGE D. SEYMOUR, the Qilltl means coniorising alongitudinally l CLARA L. NEED.

